Life, the Universe, and Lani

Me! I originally started Tell-Thai Heart back in 2009 (first on blogger and then on its own URL) as a way to put-myself-out     there. But after so many problems with the hosting company, etc, I decided to move my site back to a free hosting platform. Now I’m using WordPress and have integrated it with Life, the Universe and Lani. And so there you have it!

Ten Thai-ish facts about me 🙂

1. Thailand is more than a tourist destination, a retirement outpost and hackneyed travel blog. It’s where my mother was born, my parents met and where my father died. It’s a place that has changed my life at 6, 16 and 33 years of age. So I moved here in June 2009, in search of some unknown quality that I have felt missing in my life, and to have – a good ol’ fashioned colonial adventure…Yeeeeehawwww!

2. My mother is Thai, my father Chinese, and I was born in Hawaii. So, that makes me American. Asian American. American Asian. Not really Asian. A banana. Up to you. My identity, these days, hasn’t been so much a struggle, as it is an interesting reflection of how others interpret me.

3. My expat journey has been a back and forth one. See below, yo!

4. My mom didn’t teach my brother or me pasa Thai when we were growing up. Yes, it’s a shame, but I’m learning now.

5. I am currently the clichéd English teacher working at a lovely language school in Chiang Rai.

6. My parents met in Udon during the Vietnam War. And it’s a great story…

7. I have a younger brother who looks WAY more Thai than me.  I look more Chinese, especially with my bangs. (I was forever told that I didn’t look good with bangs, and now I’m told I look good with bangs.)

8. My father died here when we were on a family vacation in 1979. It was a motorbike accident. Consequently and as you might expect, my mom doesn’t like me driving a motorbike and I’m super careful, and neurotic about motorbike safety.

9. My name is on a pillar in a temple or wat in Lamphun. It was a wonderful surprise when I was told about it. My mom had donated money to the local wat in her village – and the money was given in our names. And so, sometimes I wonder at the fact that my name will be there for as long as the temple stands.

10. My college major was anthropology (the study of culture) and archaeology (culture + dead people = awesomeness). I did archaeology for a little time, loved it, but decided to take a break. The funny thing is I never went back, but started on new path called teaching. Oh, lordy…

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you find something useful and or entertaining. The menu located under the header has a couple of popular categories. On the right, you’ll find a search feature, as well as tags and more categories. And of course, you can always email me.

xxoo,
Lani
blue.crystal.monkey@gmail.com
I’m also on Twitter @lanivcox